TAR UC Student the First Malaysian to be Top in the World for ACCA Paper

A historic first for Malaysia, Caroline Ng Yi-Wye, a final year Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) student from Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (‘TAR UC’) did the nation proud by becoming the first Malaysian to rank as Top in the World for the Strategic Business Leader (‘SBL’) paper in the December 2019 ACCA examinations.

“I was in the class when the results were announced. My classmates and I were all waiting and I remember being super nervous,” recalled Caroline. “When I saw my results I was speechless because I certainly did not expect to achieve such results. I would have been grateful to just pass the paper, but to be able to score highest in the world definitely came as a surprise to me.”

Coming from a pure Science background in secondary school, she proved that with hard work and determination, nothing is impossible.

“After SPM, I knew that I did not want to do science in university. So I started to look at business and accountancy programmes. In the end, I went with my gut feeling and enrolled into TAR UC’s Diploma in Accounting programme. In hindsight, it has turned out to be the best decision,” she shared.

She also shared the difficulties she faced when she first started her Diploma studies. “My peers already had some knowledge of accountancy from secondary school whereas I had zero knowledge in this field. I was very lost in the beginning and had to build my own foundation and understanding of each topic. Fortunately, I had very good tutors during my Diploma days who encouraged my interest in this field.”

The youngest of three siblings, Caroline also revealed that her entire family are TARCians in one way or another. “I am the only one in my family to do accounting at TAR UC. My eldest brother did psychology while the other did his A-level here. My dad did his Form 6 in TAR College and my mom was an English lecturer in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities in TAR UC for over 20 years.”

“I am very grateful for my parents’ emotional support and encouragement for my choice to study accounting. They were extremely surprised when I told them about my achievement and asked me to double check and triple check the details on the letter,” she said with a smile.

SBL is a compulsory Professional Level paper by ACCA which simulates a workplace environment whereby one needs to demonstrate a blend of technical, ethical and professional skills to respond to requests from people in various roles. The global passing rate for this paper for the December 2019 ACCA examination was 46%.

“The SBL paper encompasses many different topics like governance, ethics, risk and strategy as well as other soft skills linked to leadership and critical thinking etc. For this paper, case studies will never be repeated so it’s pointless to try and memorise answers or spot questions. This 4-hour paper tests you on your ability to assess, adapt and respond accordingly.”

“At TAR UC, preparation for this paper is split over two modules so that we can have a better understanding of what the learning outcome will be and how we can effectively manage our time during the exam. My lecturer imparted a lot of knowledge to us that was very important during the exam and my tutor’s Q&A approach during our tutorial sessions helped us to be able to think fast. I am very grateful for their guidance throughout my studies here,” Caroline added.

Caroline also emphasised that the skills acquired during her studies and through the ACCA examination has prepared her to hit the ground running when she pursues her career in taxation after graduation.

Currently, TAR UC has more than 6,000 accounting students, the largest number among all private institutions of higher learning in Malaysia. To date, TAR UC students have won 79 world prizes and 101 national prizes in the ACCA examinations.